Kent Bush: A way forward without war

An interim agreement was reached that delays Iran’s enrichment program

Kent Bush

Sometimes the best-case scenario isn’t that great.

No one knows that better than the naysayers who do nothing other than criticize the work that other people get done.

Voltaire said, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” Nothing defeats progress like waiting for the perfect plan to follow. Often the perfect plan is to continue doing the best you can little by little until you accomplish the ultimate goal.

It seems that was what the Obama Administration had in mind when they teamed up with a group of allies to put together an imperfect agreement with Iran.

No one wants Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. I don’t know how close they are. It depends on who you believe. Iranian officials will tell you they either have the technology or are on the cusp of bomb creation. Others in the intelligence community agree that they have a uranium enrichment program but are years away from being able to weaponize it.

In order to lessen the concern that the country will continue on the path toward nuclear weapon possession, an interim agreement was reached that delays Iran’s enrichment program.

The agreement lifts some of the economic sanctions on the country and is being received well across financial markets as oil and gasoline prices fell on the news that is expected to stabilize the region.

However, many in Congress – especially those with high numbers of Jewish constituents – are not a fans of the deal. For obvious reasons, Israel doesn’t trust Iran’s government to keep any promise. No one does. But at some point, all you can do is “trust but verify.”

But with Israel’s proximity to the country who would love nothing more than to be able to wipe them off the map, no deal that doesn’t cripple Iran would be acceptable.

Israeli Prim Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet, “What was achieved last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement, it was a historic mistake.”

I’m not sure how much of that he believes and how much is prudent political rhetoric. Obviously, hard line positions on Iran are going to be popular among the people he leads. You can’t be weak on Iran and stay the Prime Minister of Israel very long.

I know they would have preferred military strikes on Iran and even more difficult economic sanctions.

But I don’t think many Americans are ready for another unprovoked war to solve a problem that might exist.

Many critics like to compare this deal to the Munich Agreement of 1938 when all of Europe without Czechoslovakia ceded a portion of German-speaking Czechoslovakia to Hitler in an effort to stop the march of the Nazis.

World War II is proof that the Munich Agreement was not very effective.

But just as no current world leaders are Adolph Hitler, no agreement is the Munich Agreement.

This interim measure will either give America and other world powers a chance to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons and avoid war or the Iranians will get caught violating the agreement and the bombs will fly in all directions.

This agreement gives peace a chance.

It isn’t perfect, but I don’t see a better agreement on the table. Don’t criticize an answer without an alternative that works better.

Opinions are great but sooner or later we have to take action. When we find a way forward without another war, I like the idea of trying to make it work.

Kent Bush is the publisher of the Butler County Times Gazette and can be reached at: kbush@butlercountytimesgazette.com

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.